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West Virginia First Foundation calls on more expertise to try to ease effects of epidemic – WV MetroNews

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West Virginia First Foundation calls on more expertise to try to ease effects of epidemic – WV MetroNews


The West Virginia First Foundation has such great responsibility — and such potential to help the state — the executive director wants to make sure he’s not on his own.

Jonathan Board

“The last thing I think any of us want to be is sort of by fiat or from a high castle, dictating what local decisions need to be made,” Jonathan Board, executive director of the foundation, said on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”

“I’ve had the privilege of traveling throughout this state over the last eight or nine weeks since my start, and I’ll tell you region from region, community to community, the need may be the same but the solutions can often be incredibly different.”

So Board is pleased that this week the West Virginia First Foundation established an expert panel made up of leaders from around the state who will provide guidance on strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.

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Furthermore, the foundation this week established an “initial opportunity committee” to get some grant application parameters in shape and moving. That group is meant to support Board, who just became executive director a couple of months ago.

“Ultimately, we’re going to have a really robust engagement model where everyone can access and create some really wonderful partnerships there. But we understand that it’s gonna require a needs assessment ,that’s going to require engineering and software and application, that’s going to take some time,” Board said.

“But the need persists now, literally live in this moment. And so that’s why we want to engage with certain criteria, and that’s where that committee is going to come in and probably look across and talk with the local communities, see what those specific needs are, some of that low hanging fruit throughout that continuum of care, and isolate those and really just start getting getting tools in the hands of boots on the ground.”

West Virginia will have about $1 billion following a number of lawsuits against distributors, wholesalers and pharmacies. The money is still coming in.

The “West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding” lays out the terms for the state and the many counties and cities that may receive a portion of settlement dollars to push back against ongoing drug addiction issues.

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A major portion of the millions of dollars, 72.5 percent, goes to the private, nonstock, nonprofit West Virginia First Foundation, which will now distribute the funding for work toward abating the opioid epidemic in communities around the state.

The money can go to a variety of efforts, but the state has such needs that several members of the board have expressed urgency to get moving.

“I think you can talk with your friends and your neighbors and any West Virginian — because this catches all of us — and and there’s often reoccurring themes, right? We know communities handle this challenge differently because they have to. There are service area deserts where where we don’t have anything, let alone wraparound,” Board said.

“But when you talk with those, there are these these reoccurring themes that that I think we will be able to address in this short term, really focused disbursement model, if that’s what it becomes, and that’s what we’re hopeful that it does become and then we can build out from there.”

The newly-established expert panel includes:

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Treatment

Laura Lander, associate professor in the department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry in the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University.

Prevention

Greg Puckett, a commissioner in Mercer County and as Executive Director of Community Connections Inc.

Recovery & Lived Experience

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Emily Birckhead, executive director of West Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences.

Corrections & Reentry

William Marshall, commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Systems of Care, Health Policy & Management

Christina Mullins, deputy secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders at the West Virginia Department of Human Services.

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Law Enforcement & Judicial Systems

Jess Gundy, criminal justice program director at the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security.

First Responders

Adam Crawford, medical director for the General Division Emergency Department at Charleston Area Medical Center Health System



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West Virginia

West Virginia man accused of threatening Trump, ICE agents indicted

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West Virginia man accused of threatening Trump, ICE agents indicted


A West Virginia man accused of threatening to attack President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement workers was federally indicted this week.

Cody Lee Smith, 20, of Clarksburg was indicted on two counts of threats to murder the president, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.

Smith is accused of making a series of public posts on Instagram encouraging and threatening the murder of Trump, those who support him, Israelis and “all government officials,” the news release said.

The indictment also alleges that Smith sent a direct message via Instagram to Donald J. Trump, Jr., stating he would kill his father by cutting his “jugular.”

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In a phone call with the ICE tip line, Smith also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg and employees staffing the tip line.

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Smith faces up to 5 years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts.



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West Virginia falls flat in 65-63 loss to Kansas State – WV MetroNews

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West Virginia falls flat in 65-63 loss to Kansas State – WV MetroNews


West Virginia has said the right things about the need to capitalize on opportunities.

The Mountaineers aren’t following through when they come about.

The latest example came Tuesday night at Kansas State, which scored 21 unanswered points in the second half before holding off a furious West Virginia charge for a 65-53 victory at Bramlage Coliseum.

“The level of urgency and desire to win a game with so much on it wasn’t where it needed to be,” West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge said on postgame radio.

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The Wildcats (12-18, 3-14) played without leading scorer PJ Haggerty, a surprise scratch with an undisclosed injury.

Although WVU (17-13, 8-9) defeated Kansas State 59-54 with Haggerty in the lineup during a January matchup in Morgantown, the Mountaineers were unable to capitalize on his absence in the rematch and fell to 1-4 in their last five games.

Both teams were dismal offensively in the opening half, which ended with West Virginia leading, 26-23.

The Mountaineers got 10 points apiece from reserve forwards Chance Moore and DJ Thomas, helping the visitors to at least somewhat overcome a starting lineup that scored six points on 3-for-15 shooting over the first 20 minutes.

“When you’re playing a team that is a little down and out, you can’t give them life and can’t give them hope,” Hodge said. “We had so many opportunities in the first half and at the beginning of the game to make some plays and entice a team that’s been struggling to maybe keep struggling.”

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After a scoreless first half, WVU guard Honor Huff made his 100th three-pointer this season with 18:33 to play, allowing the Mountaineers to lead 31-27.

West Virginia went the next 8-plus minutes without a point, and Wildcats took control during that stretch.

Khamari McGriff scored the Wildcats’ first four points of the extended 21-0 spurt and accounted for four buckets and eight of the first 15 points during that time.

A jumper from CJ Jones with 10:53 remaining left the home team with a 48-31 advantage, before Thomas scored from close range to end his team’s extended drought at the 10:27 mark.

“I’m aware of our shortcomings and I understand when you’re deficient in some areas, your margin for error to win is razor thin,” Hodge said. “I’m disappointed with what was at stake, we got beat to loose balls. Would it have been nice to make more layups and threes? Of course. But when those things aren’t happening, you better do those other things.”

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KSU had separate 19-point leads, the latter of which came at 57-38 when McGriff made two free throws with 7:29 to play.

WVU then increased its aggressiveness offensively and reeled off the next 11 points, while the Wildcats began to play tentative while in possession.

A three-pointer from K-State’s Nate Johnson left the Wildcats with a 60-49 lead with 3:48 left, but the Mountaineers continued to battle and trailed by six when Chance Moore scored in the paint at the 1:24 mark.

Moore’s next basket made it a five-point game, and after a Johnson turnover, Huff made two free throws to bring WVU to within 61-58 with 48 seconds left.

Another KSU turnover gave the visitors the ball back, but after Moore missed a shot that the Mountaineers rebounded, Huff committed a costly turnover. 

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Johnson made two free throws with 17 seconds left, and McGriff added two more with 7 seconds remaining before Huff made a trey at the buzzer.

Moore led WVU with 18 points and made 6-of-7 shots, but again struggled on free throws, finishing 5 for 9. WVU hurts its cause at the charity stripe and made only 9-of-16 attempts.

Brenen Lorient was the Mountaineers’ second-leading scorer with 14 second-half points, while Thomas followed with 12 and Huff added 11 on 3-for-11 shooting.

Treysen Eaglestaff led all players with 11 rebounds in defeat, but made only 3-of-12 shots in a six-point showing.

McGriff led KSU with 18 points and added seven rebounds.

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Johnson finished with 16 points and nine boards.

WVU had nine of its 13 turnovers in the second half. 

“Nine turnovers in the second half creates more busted floors, more cross match opportunities and through that, it makes you vulnerable for paint touch opportunities,” Hodge said. 

K-State played under the guidance of interim head coach Matthew Driscoll. Driscoll replaced Jerome Tang, who was fired in between the team’s first and second matchups with West Virginia this season.

“Sometimes in life you get what you deserve,” Hodge said, “and we deserved to lose tonight.”

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Nitro completes utility deal with West Virginia American Water – WV MetroNews

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Nitro completes utility deal with West Virginia American Water – WV MetroNews


NITRO, W.Va. — It’s a done deal.

Nitro Mayor Dave Casebolt signed an agreement Tuesday with West Virginia American Water Company President Scott Wyman completing the sale of the Nitro Regional Wastewater Utility including the sewer plant for $20 million.

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The water utility will now own and operate the city’s water and wastewater systems. The state Public Service Commission recently approved the deal.

Casebolt said it’s good to get the long-talked-about agreement signed. He said the city can’t afford to make the improvements required at the sewer plant.

“We’re looking at needing between 40 and 50 million dollars of upgrades to our system and expecting our four-thousand customer base to try to offset those costs is not even practical,” Casebolt said.

Casebolt said sewer bills are going to go up but he said they were going to go up regardless. He said the city was facing increasing rates by as much as 50 percent.

West Virgina American is planning $42 million in upgrades to the sewer system over the next five years, Casebolt said.

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“It’s a much-need investment and actually allow the system to handle rainwater much better where it’s not backing up into people’s homes,” Casebolt said.



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